TETLIT'ZHEH/FORT MCPHERSON
Baby Emmett Smith underwent a successful liver transplant last week thanks to a donation from his father and is now recovering in hospital in Edmonton, say the boy's parents.

Baby Emmett Smith is recovering at Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alta., after receiving a piece of his father's liver May 11. - photo courtesy of Charlotte Francis

The now nearly six-month-old was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer, called hepatoblastoma, in January.

He and his mother, Charlotte Francis, have been living at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alta. ever since.

The family is originally from Fort McPherson but now live in the Yukon.

While rounds of chemotherapy helped shrink the cancer, it was determined that Emmett would need a full liver transplant, said Francis.

After weeks of testing, Emmett's father, Michael Smith, was determined to be an eligible donor.

Smith said waiting to hear the test results was hard on the family.

"It was a rough two or three weeks waiting," he said. "But the doctors told us it fit him perfectly."

On May 11, a piece of Smith's liver was transplanted into Emmett's body, where it will hopefully grow into a fully functional, healthy organ.

Smith said he was thrilled when he found out he was a successful match.

"I was really happy about it," he said. "Finding out that it was me was a real joy."

Smith's eligibility meant that Emmett didn't have to wait on a list of possible organ donors. He said because the sickest patients receive organs first, Emmett could have had a long wait.

"The sickest would get it first," Smith said. "It was a real relief."

So far, the surgery seems to have been a success, Francis said. Emmett was expected to be transferred out of the hospital's pediatric intensive care unit and into another hospital room last weekend.

Smith is also recovering well but he will be required to stay in Edmonton for at least another month.

Family and friends in Yukon are helping to take care of the couple's other children and household until Smith can return home.

He said the other children are anxious to see their parents and little brother.

"They're wondering when we can all go home," he said.

Even after his return, Smith will be unable to return to work for at least another eight to 12 weeks in order to fully recover from his surgery.

In the meantime, Emmett must endure one more round of chemotherapy. He is expected to stay in the hospital for at least another three months, possibly four including his next chemotherapy treatment, Francis said.

Smith said he is thankful to everyone who has helped support his family.

"Everything is going very good and we're very happy," he said. "We're glad for everybody's support and prayers and everything that we've gone through. We've come a long way and it's helped a lot."

Francis said now Emmett is busy recovering and being a normal six-month-old. Because the baby needs to be kept fairly still during his recovery, nurses are trying to keep him swaddled to prevent him from pulling on tubes and other hospital machinery.

But Emmett's a busy baby boy and is not happy about being constricted, Francis said.

"As for Emmett, he's doing OK, he's just really mad," she said, laughing. "I keep telling him I'd be mad, too."

The family has a GoFundMe campaign and people can also check on Emmett's progress by visiting the Baby Emmett Smith Facebook page.

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